# Notes Writer vs Kilonotes

The clearest difference is ads: Notes Writer at none against Kilonotes's shown. Kilonotes's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Kilonotes sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Notes Writer against 4.6 for Kilonotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.3K and 5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Notes Writer's written reviews are positive against 71% of Kilonotes's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, Kilonotes weekly. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Kilonotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723/reviews) | **[4.6 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kilonotes-notes-and-mark-up-pdf/id1514322479/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 5K |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | **70.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 688 MB | 489 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Hefei T-Stack Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514322478) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723)

This app combines handwriting, PDFs, voice recordings, and AI for note-taking, document annotation, and idea organization. It offers a paper-like writing experience with various tools and supports students, professionals, and writers with specialized features.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and form filling, Voice recording and transcription, AI-powered writing assistance, Flashcard creation and spaced repetition, Quiz generation from notes, Document import and export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


### Kilonotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kilonotes-notes-and-mark-up-pdf/id1514322479)

Enhance your learning and productivity with a versatile note-taking and PDF annotation tool.  Record lectures, organize study materials, and leverage AI assistance for efficient knowledge management.

**Highlights:** Handwritten note-taking and editing, PDF annotation and markup, AI-powered note organization and problem-solving, Recording lectures while taking notes, Customizable notebooks and templates, OCR text extraction, Global PDF search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud space monthly membership | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Plan | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| AIChat | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual Plan | $9.99 | per year |
| Cloud space annual membership | $9.99 | per year |
| Paid Notebook | $0.99 | one-time |
| AI Points Products | $1.99 | one-time |
| Paid Notebook | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Affordable
- 🚀 Lots of free features
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 👍 Customizable notebooks and pages
- 👍 Good alternative to paid apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Syncing and backup issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or privacy features
- 👎 Limited free notebooks
- 👎 Some features locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Notebooks and notes getting deleted or scrambled
- Lag and performance issues when writing or zooming
- Inconsistent behavior of the pen and eraser tools

**Requested features**

- Add more free sticker packs and templates
- Improve the lasso tool and image editing
- Implement iCloud or cloud sync
- Add a dark mode option
- Improve the audio recording and playback features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

Notes Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Kilonotes free?

Kilonotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or Kilonotes?

Kilonotes is rated higher. Notes Writer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Kilonotes averages 4.6 from 5K ratings.

### Do Notes Writer or Kilonotes have ads?

Kilonotes shows ads; Notes Writer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Kilonotes?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and Kilonotes weekly. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on November 11, 2026 and Kilonotes on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*